Match-holder.



PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907.

E. H. WILLIAMS. MATUH HOLDER. APPLIOATION FILED JAN.5,1907.

7n: NORRIS PETERS co, WASHINGTON, n. c.

EDGAR H. WILLIAMS, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. P

MATCH-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

Application filed Jan ary 5, 1907. S i O- 850,920.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR H. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Holders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in match safes or holders and consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character adapted ito greceivei the bottom or body portion of a box of matches as they are sold on the market at the present time, so that the matches will feed by gravity to the discharge of the match safe or holder.

Another object of the invention is to 'provide a match safe or holder of this character with means for receiving the burned or used match stems and with means whereby the empty match receptacle and the burned matches may be readily removed from the device.

Further objects and advantages of the in vention, as well as the structural features by means of which these objects are attained, will be made clear by an examination of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved match safe or holder; Fig. 2 is a vertical section; and Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the device inverted for the purpose of emptying it.

My improved match safe or holder comprises a back or base 1, two sides 2 and a front consisting of three sections or parts 3, 4, 5. The back 1 is rectangular and has its vertical side edges united to the rear edges of the sides 2 which latter have their bottom edges inclined upwardly and forwardly and united by the lowermost front section 5, so that the lower end of the body or holder is tapered or angular in form and within it is provided a substantially triangular-shaped chamber 6 for the reception of burned matches. The front edges of the upper portions of the sides 2 are united by the uppermost front section 3 and the central portions of said sides 2 project forwardly, as at 7, and are united by the front section 4 which latter has itsjupper edge notched or recessed, as at 8, for a purpose presently explained. Pivoted or hinged, as at 9, upon the front face of the back 1 opposite the lower edge of the inverted front section 4 is a bottom 10 which is adapted to separate the chamber 6 in the lower end of the device or holder from a substantially L-shaped chamber 11 in its upper and central portion. This chamber 11 has the top of both its vertical and horizontal portions open; and the vertical portion is adapted to receive the usual rectangularshaped bottom or body portion A of a box of parlor matches which body A, when inserted in said chamber, has its lower end resting upon the top of the bottom 10 and its open face to the front, so that the matches within it will feed downwardly by gravity and fill the horizontal portion of the chamber 11, as clearly shown in the drawings. The notch 8 in the section 4 of the front permits the matches to be readily removed from the open top of the horizontal portion of the chamber 11. The front edge of the bottom 10 is adapted to swing upwardly and its downward movement is limited by a stop 1O projecting inwardly from the front section 4. The device may be hung in any suitable manner, but I preferably provide at the top of its back 1 an apertured car 12. If desired,l may provide upon the front face of the uppermost front section 3 or upon any other portion of the device a roughened surface 13 upon which matches may be scratched.

The construction, use and advantages of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the following brief statement. When the match holder is to be filled its back 1 is held in a horizontal position and the box of matches is slipped into the open upper end of the verti-. cal portion of the chamber 11. l/Vhen the device is righted, the match box within said chamber will rest upon the bottom 10 and the matches within it will fill the horizontal portion of said chamber. After the matches have been struck and used and extinguished, the stems are dropped into the chamber 6 through the opening at its front and upper end. After all the matches in the box A have been used, said box A together with the loo burned matches in the chamber or compart- IIO be noted that the bOX A slips out of the compartment 11 and the bottom 10 swings into a position parallel with the base 1, so that no obstruction is offered to the discharge of the burned matches in the compartment 6. It Will be observed that this device may be quickly filled, since all that is necessary is the removal of the top or cover of an ordinary box of parlor matches and the insertion of the bottom or body portion of the match boX in the holder.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A match holder comprising a body having a vertical chamber provided with upper and lower openings, and a bottom plate hingedly mounted in said chamber at a point between its upper and lower openings and dividing it into upper and lower compartments, substantially as shown and for the purpose specified.

2. A match holder comprising a body having a vertical chamber provided with upper and lower openings, a bottom plate hinged at one of its edges to one wall of said body at a point intermediate the openings in the charm,

ber and dividing the latter into upper and lower compartments, and a stop projecting from the opposite wall of the body and adapted to support said. bottom plate in a horizontal position, said bottom plate being adapted to swing against the wall to which it is hinged when the body is inverted, substantially as shown and for the purpose specified.

3. A match holder comprising a body hav ing the back 1, the sides 2, the three front sections 3, 4, 5, the latter of which being inclined upwardly and forwardly and projecting beyond and having its upper edge arranged in front of the front section 4, the latter being also arranged in front of the front section 3, the bottom plate 10 hingedly mounted within the body adjacent to the back 1 so as to swing inwardly against said back when the body is inverted, and the inwardly projecting stop 10 arranged upon the front section 4 to limit the downward swinging movement of the bottom plate and hold it normally at right angles to the back 1, sub

stantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR H. WILLIAMS. Witnesses H. L. DRAKE, D. E. WILLIAMS. 

